St. Lucie County officials remind residents, businesses and visitors to keep our beaches sea turtle friendly as nesting season runs March 1 through Nov. 15.  Last season, the first recorded nest was laid in late February.

St. Lucie County’s 21 miles of beaches are critical nesting grounds for endangered and threatened sea turtle species, including Green, Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles. If anyone observes sea turtle nest poaching or harassment, please call 911 or the Florida Fish and Wildlife hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC. 

Because our state’s shorelines provide important nesting habitat for several species of threatened and endangered sea turtles, beachgoers can have a significant impact on their nesting success. To help nesting sea turtles, people can take easy steps to protect them, including giving them space, minimizing disturbances and keeping beaches clean and dark. Below are some practices residents and visitors can do to help keep our beaches sea turtle friendly.

• During the nesting season, please modify or turn off exterior light sources so illumination is not directly visible from the beach or illuminating areas seaward of the primary dune between sunset and sunrise. 
• Information about sea turtles and lights is available online at: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/sea-turtle/lighting. 
• Window treatments are required on all windows of single and multi-story structures if these windows are within the line of sight of the beach.  Blackout draperies or shade screens are preferred. Alternatively, approved window tint may be applied to beachfront windows. People within line-of-sight of the beach are encouraged to turn out all unnecessary interior lights during nesting season and close curtains and blinds at night.
• Any lighting can misdirect and disturb nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings, leading them away from the ocean and toward potential danger. To prevent this, regular flashlights (red light or infrared is fine) and bonfires are discouraged during nesting season.
• Beach furniture should not be left on the beach overnight. 
• Pits, holes and sandcastles made by beachgoers can turn into pitfalls that entrap sea turtle hatchlings.  Please leave the beach in the same condition you found it in (or better).
• Dispose of trash in proper trash receptacles.
• Walton Rocks Beach is the only dog-approved beach in St Lucie County. Dogs should be on leashes to avoid digging up sea turtle nests.

For additional tips about keeping our beaches sea-turtle friendly and to see the progress on nesting numbers, visit: www.stlucieco.gov/seaturtleseason.

For more information about nesting sea turtles and how you can help, visit MyFWC.com/SeaTurtle or see the FWC’s “Be a Beach Hero” brochure. Other ways to help sea turtles include reporting those that are sick, injured, entangled or dead to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).